By ANEEKA SIMONIS
PAKENHAM police are cracking down on crime with the expansion of their Crime Investigation Unit.
Headed by Detective Senior Sergeant Trevor Smith, the unit has almost doubled in size over the past few months, including two detective sergeants and 10 detectives.
Det Sen Sgt Smith said more eyes and ears across the shire would help police stamp out crime.
“Cardinia is growing and population growth will always have an impact on crime figures. We are planning for the future by putting on more detectives in the unit … Cardinia has one of the biggest growth areas in all of the state,” said Det Sen Sgt Smith.
A number of crime scene officers from Casey CIU will also relocate to the Cardinia unit.
The extra four senior constable officers will become a permanent addition to the unit, protecting the growing district from the concerning number of burglary and thefts.
In addition to catching the bad guys, Cardinia CIU will also dedicate a number of officers to preventing local crime.
The Cardinia Tactical Anti-Crime (CTAC) team will task five senior constables with tackling a range of offences such as drug trafficking and motor car theft, as well as monitoring repeat offenders.
The officers will operate in plain clothes to catch offenders unaware.
